Access White County Criminal Records

White County criminal court records are filed and stored at the Clerk of Superior Court office in Cleveland. Located in the north Georgia mountains, White County handles all felony and misdemeanor cases through its local court system. You can search criminal court records by calling the White County clerk, visiting the courthouse on South Main Street, or using statewide online tools. Dena M. Adams serves as the Clerk of Superior Court and oversees all criminal case filings, docket records, and court dispositions for the county. Cleveland is the county seat, and the courthouse there is the center of all court business in White County.

White County Criminal Court Clerk

Dena M. Adams is the Clerk of Superior Court in White County. She manages all criminal court records filed in the county. The office is at 59 South Main Street, Suite B, in Cleveland. Call (706) 865-2613 with questions about a case, or fax a request to (706) 865-7749. Hours run Monday through Friday. The staff can search for criminal records by defendant name or case number. White County has a moderate population for the north Georgia region, and the clerk office handles a steady flow of criminal filings throughout the year. Walk-ins are welcome during regular business hours.

The GSCCCA page for White County shows the clerk contact details and connects to the state filing index maintained by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority.

Use this page to verify the White County clerk phone, address, and fax number. The GSCCCA collects filing data from all 159 counties and makes it searchable through their online tools.

Searching White County Criminal Records

Call (706) 865-2613 to start your search. Give the clerk a name or case number and they can look it up. You can also visit the courthouse at 59 South Main Street in Cleveland. Bring a photo ID. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, criminal court records are public in Georgia. Anyone can request to see them. You do not need a reason. The White County clerk has three business days to respond. Copies cost $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of search time are free under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. You can also fax your request to (706) 865-7749.

White County does not run its own online criminal records portal. For online searches, use the statewide E-Access to Court Records system. You need an account. The GSCCCA also offers filing data from every Georgia county. A regular account is $14.95 per month. Premium access costs $29.95. Both tools cover White County criminal case data along with every other county in the state.

Items you need for a White County criminal record search:

• Full legal name of the person
• Date of birth or approximate age
• Case number if available
• Type of charge (felony or misdemeanor)

White County Criminal Case Types

The Superior Court in White County handles all felony cases. Drug trafficking, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and other serious charges go through Superior Court. State Court takes misdemeanors like DUI, simple battery, minor theft, and possession of small amounts of drugs. Magistrate Court holds preliminary hearings and sets bond. Each of these courts produces criminal records that the White County Clerk stores and manages. Every case builds a file from the arrest report through the final court ruling, and that file is part of the public record.

Cleveland is where all court proceedings in White County take place. The courthouse on South Main Street hosts trials, hearings, and arraignments. White County sits in the Enotah Judicial Circuit, which also covers several other north Georgia mountain counties. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, records from active criminal investigations may not be available to the public. But once the case is done, the entire record is generally open for review. Court dates and docket info are typically accessible even while a case is still going on.

Note: White County's location in north Georgia means the clerk office occasionally handles cases involving mountain recreation areas and national forest land within the county.

Criminal Record Restriction in White County

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, Georgia allows certain criminal records to be restricted from public view. You may qualify if your arrest did not lead to a conviction, if you have a misdemeanor conviction and four years have passed since you completed your sentence, or if your case was placed on a dead docket for over 12 months. White County residents should contact the District Attorney's office for arrests on or after July 1, 2013. For older arrests, reach out to the arresting law enforcement agency. Agencies can charge up to $50 to process the request.

Georgia allows a maximum of two misdemeanor conviction restrictions per person. Serious violent felonies and sex offenses are never eligible for restriction. Time-expired restrictions may happen automatically when the Georgia Crime Information Center does not receive a final case disposition. That is two years for misdemeanors and four years for felonies. These cover the state database only. For a full restriction on your White County criminal record, go through the formal application process. The GBI helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 can help with questions about your statewide criminal history.

White County Court Resources

White County uses the Odyssey eFileGA system for electronic court filings. Attorneys can submit motions and documents through the platform without making the drive to the Cleveland courthouse. These filings become part of the official criminal court record. The eFileGA system is available 24 hours a day. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-11, clerks may offer public access to view eFiled documents online.

For your own criminal history, visit the White County Sheriff's Office in Cleveland and request a Purpose Code U report. This is the standard Georgia process for getting your own criminal record. The GBI Criminal History page walks through the details. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, attorneys can get criminal history data from the Georgia Crime Information Center by written request. The GBI Open Records Unit only accepts requests through their online portal or by mail to P.O. Box 370808, Decatur, GA 30034. Email is no longer an option.

Note: The GBI stopped accepting email-based open records requests in December 2023.

Cities in White County

All criminal cases from White County go through the Superior Court or State Court in Cleveland. The courthouse on South Main Street handles all felony and misdemeanor filings for the county.

Cities and towns in White County include Cleveland and Helen. Criminal cases from these areas are processed through the White County court system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border White County in the north Georgia mountains. Criminal cases must be filed in the county where the arrest happened. Check the arrest location if you are not sure which county has jurisdiction.